Get To Know Google Analytics 4: The Smartest Way to Get Website Insights
Change can be intimidating, but it can also open the door to better things. So while you may be wringing your hands about Google Analytics 4 (GA4), we’re here to tell you that its benefits far outweigh the slight inconvenience of migration. Here is everything you need to know about GA4 and how to use it.
What Is Google Analytics 4?
Google doesn’t just help people find your website, but it also helps you learn more about their behavior and preferences when they visit your site. This is made possible by Google’s analytics suite.
If you’ve owned a website for a while, of course, you’re no doubt familiar with this thanks to Universal Analytics (UA) — which GA4 is set to replace by July 1, 2023.
Think of it this way: GA 4 is a next-generation version of UA, one that's more powerful and insightful.
Why Is Google Replacing Universal Analytics?
In a nutshell? Google wants to offer more in-depth data and insights than what UA can currently offer.
Sessions vs. Events
With GA4, Google is shifting from session-based to event-based web tracking.
Whereas the former tracks page views, the latter focuses on what people actually do on your website.
These actions are considered “events” and can be anything from visitors viewing your website, clicking on a listing, or booking a meeting — you get to decide what counts as an “event.”
What this means for you
While UA gives a picture of your site’s web traffic, GA4 gives you a detailed look at how visitors interact with your site. In short, you have a clearer sense of whether your website is doing what it’s supposed to do: lead prospects down the sales funnel for you.
Why Should I Switch To Google Analytics 4?
You don’t have a choice
There are no two ways about it: Universal Analytics is out and Google Analytics 4 is in. If you want to keep getting insights into your website, you’re going to have to migrate to GA4.
This is significant because GA4 will only begin collecting data when you switch to it. All your previous data will remain in UA, but you can’t import it because the two platforms use very different data models (as we’ve previously discussed). If you want to access older data, you’ll have to switch back and forth between GA4 and UA — a cumbersome process, indeed.
What does this mean? The sooner you switch to GA4, the more data it will have on record and the fewer back-and-forth you need to do.
You’ll have more accurate measurements
As we’ve discussed before, the shift to event-based tracking gives you a crystal clear idea of what people do when they actually land on your website. For example, if you see that people fill out a signup form but eventually abandon it, you know there are optimizations you can do to prevent this. Or if visitors aren’t clicking on links you deem important, you can tweak the website’s layout to give it a bigger spotlight. Other events that you can track with GA4 include file downloads, property searches, video views, and clicks on outbound links. It can even recommend which events to track! To summarize, more granular measurements equal more detailed insights for you.
You get cross-platform tracking
In GA4, you can use the same tracking code for your site and mobile app (if you have one), and their data will be displayed in a centralized “data stream.” But that’s not all: you can filter the stream to show merged, web-only, and app-only data, depending on your needs. Even better, it can track users across different platforms; if a user sees your Facebook ad and visits your website later on, GA4 can attribute the visit to your social campaign. Cross-device and cross-platform tracking is possible because GA4 links users’ devices to their Google accounts. As long as they’re logged into Google on whatever device they’re currently using, GA4 can track them.
You can generate custom dashboards and reports
Since you have so much more data to play around with, GA4 also allows you to create custom dashboards so you can track the metrics that mean the most to you. For instance, if you uploaded a new high-profile listing on your site and want to see how much interest it generates, you can designate clicks as an event, pull out the data stream, and add it to your custom dashboard so you can see it immediately when you open GA4.
You get access to AI tools
You might think that having access to oodles of data might be too much of a good thing, but don’t fret — GA4 gives you access to AI-powered tools to help make sense of it all. To begin with, you can run your data through Google’s BigQuery engine, which uses machine learning to uncover insights you might have missed. GA4 also uses probabilistic matching, wherein algorithms fill in the gaps caused by ad blockers and other privacy regulations by looking at other data sources. This makes GA4 much less dependent on website cookies (which are being phased out) than UA.
You can rest assured about privacy
How much data companies collect from site visitors has been a major flashpoint as of late. Luckily, GA4 makes sure to protect the privacy of all individuals who visit your website or use your app. All data that GA4 gathers is anonymized because no personally identifiable information (PII) is collected. As such, you’re unlikely to ever get a privacy violation complaint even if your website tracks user behavior.
How Do I Switch To GA4?
Anything new requires a learning curve and that’s no different with GA4. Likely the first hurdle you’ll need to overcome is activating GA4 for your website. In a nutshell, you’ll need to:
- Audit everything that you track using UA
- Set up a new GA4 property
- Convert UA goals to GA4 events
- Set up any new events you wish to track
- Monitor if everything is being tracked correctly
If all of this sounds overly technical, don’t panic: Google has a GA4 Setup Assistant to help you through the migration process.
Make The Switch Today!
GA4’s event-based and user-centric analytics make it superior to UA, which is why you shouldn’t delay migrating to it. With it, you can unlock insights that can elevate your business to new heights.
We hope this guide has given you a clear idea of the great benefits GA4 offers. If you need assistance, Agent Image is more than happy to help you complete the switch to GA4!
For more details, just call 1.800.979.5799 or send a message here.
